The present invention relates to an apparatus for absorbing energy in the event of a vehicle collision to help protect an occupant of the vehicle.
It is known to provide one or more crush zones in a frame of a vehicle such as an automobile. The crush zones are designed to crush, or deform, in the event of a vehicle collision. The deformation of the frame absorbs energy of the collision to help protect an occupant of the vehicle. The frame may be configured to deform in a certain manner upon the application of force exceeding a predetermined amount. Alternatively, a frangible structure such as a shear pin construction joining two frame elements may be provided.